Friends of the Museums Singapore September / October 2018
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Friends of the Museums Singapore September / October 2018
President's Letter
Dear Friends,
I am happy to share the news that all local and international schools in
Singapore will be receiving complimentary copies of PASSAGE to mark the
magazine’s 10th anniversary. This has been made possible with funding support
from the National Heritage Board and Our Singapore Fund. Since we started
our docent programmes, we have been providing schools with guided tours and
conducting guiding skills workshops for students. I am glad that we now have
another avenue through which to reach out to schools and share our informative
publication with them. I hope that they will learn more about what we do and
enjoy the articles in the magazine just as we do.
From a no-frills newsletter to the full-colour magazine you see today, PASSAGE
has grown into a publication packed with articles on heritage, the arts and our
community. In this special anniversary edition, PASSAGE managing editor Andra
Leo, shares the story of the magazine’s beginnings as well as her own journey with
the magazine. FOM’s immediate past president Elaine Cheong and other long-
time volunteers also reminisce about their experiences with FOM. Eight of our
docents wrote about artefacts from their respective museums, chosen because they
have some connection with FOM’s legacy. This bumper issue is definitely a keeper.
On 20 October 1978, the Friends of the National Museum was formed. This
informal group was the precursor to Friends of the Museums. Its objectives then were very simple: to assist the
citizens of Singapore to better fully appreciate the treasures of the National Museum and to stimulate community
interest in the museum’s activities. Today, at 40 years old, FOM continues to pursue these objectives and more. The
museums that we serve have since grown to include eight others and also art and heritage institutions. More recently,
we reached out to the wider community through our heritage walks programme in Chinatown and very soon, also
Kampong Gelam.
We would not have come this far without the strong support of our volunteers. Whether writers who contributed
generously to PASSAGE, docents who conduct regular tours at our museums, or activity volunteers who organise
interesting programmes for our members, they are the backbone of our society. Best-selling inspirational author, H
Jackson Brown Jr once said that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more. Our volunteers
must truly be the happiest people around.
The celebration for our 40th anniversary and PASSAGE’s 10th anniversary will kick off with a Monday Morning
Lecture on 1 October at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM). Mr Kennie Ting, group director of the ACM, will
be our guest speaker at the lecture. As an avid traveller, he will share with us his love for Asian port cities and how
he translated his journey through them into the narratives of the galleries in the ACM. In conjunction with this
celebration, our activity and museum groups will also be showcasing the programmes that they have lined up for the
new season. After the talk, members will be invited to a tea reception to mark our 40 years in service. We welcome
you to join us at this birthday bash. I look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible.
I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome the new batch of docent trainees who will be commencing
their training on 11 September. I wish them all an enriching learning journey.
Clara Chan
FOM President 2018
PASSAGE September / October 2018 1
Art History Culture People
Welcome PASSAGE
President’s Letter 1
FOM Reports
Friends in FOM by Elaine Cheong 3
How a Ceramic Society’s Exhibition Inspired the Founding of Friends
of the Museums (Singapore) in 1978 by Patricia Bjaaland Welch 4
FOM and Me in Earlier Times by Tara Dhar Hasnain 5
My FOM Journey by Durriya Dohadwala 5
Features
Habitat – An Orchid Extravaganza by Andra Leo 6
PASSAGE Museum Watch – The Volkenkunde Museum, Leiden
by Anne Pinto-Rodrigues 7
A publication of
Friends of the Museums Singapore Sketchbook – A Passion for Sketching by Siobhán Cool 8
The Evolution of a Magazine by Andra Leo 10
FOM Study Tours Continue to Inspire by Abha Dayal Kaul 12
Managing Editor FOM Docent Training by Millie Phuah 14
Andra Leo
The Highs and Lows of Guiding at the ACM
andraleo@gmail.com
by Soumya Ayer, Carolyn Pottinger, Jo Wright 15
Commissioning Editor The Man with a Vision of an Inclusive Singapore by Tang Siew Ngoh 16
Patricia Bjaaland Welch Lights, Camera, Action! by Khong Swee Lin 17
An Ancient Mystery – The Singapore Stone by Alison Kennedy-Cooke 18
News Editor Happy Anniversary FOM by Belinda Boey 19
Durriya Dohadwala The Singapore Art Museum and FOM by Tina Nixon 20
Carving a Unique Training Template by Virginie Labbe,
Photography
In conversation with Sue Sismondo and Sabine Silberstein 21
Gisella Harrold
Wan Qing Yuan Through the Years by Karen Ng 22
Editors/Contributors Building Connections by Sarah Teo 23
Carla Forbes-Kelly First Tentative Steps by Heather Muirhead 24
Darly Furlong Island Notes by Darly Furlong 29
Anne H Perng
Linden Vargish FOM Member Activities
Monday Morning Lectures 25
Advertising Manager
Dobrina Boneva Explore Singapore! 26
advertising@fom.sg Textile Enthusiasts Group 27
Study Group 27
Printed and Designed by Chinatown and Kampong Gelam Heritage Trails 28
Xpress Print Pte Ltd Japanese Docents 30
61 Tai Seng Avenue Coordinators Contact List 31
Crescendas Print Media Hub, #03-03
Singapore 534167
von@xpress.sg
Museum Information and Exhibitions
Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) 32
MICA (P) 106/12/2017 Gillman Barracks 32
ISSN 1793-8619 Indian Heritage Centre (IHC) 32
UEN: T04SS0218E Malay Heritage Centre (MHC) 32
National Museum of Singapore (NMS) 32
Supported by
NUS Museum, NUS Centre for the Arts 33
Peranakan Museum (TPM) 33
Singapore Art Museum (SAM) 33
STPI 33
The views expressed here are solely those of the authors
in their private capacity and do not in any way represent
the views of the National Heritage Board and/or
any government agencies. On the Cover: A collage of various PASSAGE covers, from the very first one to the
one published in September/October 2017
2 PASSAGE September / October 2018
Friends in FOM By Elaine Cheong
2018 marks FOM Singapore’s 40th
anniversary and my 20th anniversary
as a member of FOM. It is therefore
an invaluable opportunity for me to
provide a brief narrative of personal
encounters before and during my
three-year tenure as president (2013-
2015), encounters that define the spirit
of FOM. The first was in 1998, when
I signed up for the Docent Training
Programme. Singaporean volunteers
were then a minority and to be frank,
it was a culture shock to find myself a
minority yet again, having just returned
home from New York. Serendipitously,
those nascent years in the arts and
culture scene were boosted by
Singapore’s seminal 1989 Renaissance
Plan to position itself as a global city of Elaine at a Volunteer Appreciation event in 2014
the arts. Bonded by a common passion,
FOM docents of all nationalities answered the burgeoning and who told me that one of her secrets for longevity was
demand for museum guides. I also discerned a gradual shift gratitude. When Pat relocated to the USA she personally
in the FOM demographic with more Singaporeans coming thanked me for my work. Indeed, we are ever mindful of
forward to volunteer. thanking our volunteers with many volunteer appreciation
The departure of two FOM presidents, Carmen Frings events. However, when knuckling down to make necessary
and Ingeborg Hartgerink-Grandia, in 2012, opened the but unpopular decisions, I had then vice-president Maren
door for me to inherit the heavy mantle of FOM president. Kraemer-Dreyer to thank for being my ‘conscience’ and my
Carmen had had several conversations with me regarding pillar of strength.
the importance of Singaporeans making a larger commitment Another selfless volunteer, whose
to FOM. Today, when browsing through a recent copy of responsibilities were to ensure FOM’s
PASSAGE, I have the immense satisfaction of seeing a diverse accounts at year-end were given a
group of leaders helming the society. clean bill by the auditors, was Rita
To me, the term ‘president’ is something of a misnomer. Lee. At a crucial period in 2014, Rita
As I have often emphasised to would-be office-holders, told me she had to go for surgery, but
this position is not the organisation’s holy grail nor is it the said, “not to worry” as she already
ultimate ‘promotion’ in FOM. It is yet another volunteer had everything in place. I should have
position, albeit a much more involved one. As president I been the one saying, “not to worry”!
set myself the challenge of being not just FOM’s custodian Yet another was the charismatic
but also of venturing beyond the hallowed halls of the Pauline Ong who contributed much to
museums to narrate social memories of Singapore and to the success of FOM’s 35th anniversary
Elaine Cheong in 2015
guide independent art spaces. I am grateful to those who public seminar. She rallied the troops
believed in my vision, trudged the streets and burrowed into on the eve of the event to ensure
research to crystallise these ideas and give FOM members everything was ship-shape for the big day. But she shooed
more guiding choices. me home saying, “… the president must be at her best on the
My sensibilities throughout my FOM years were shaped big day.”
by the generosity of spirit of fellow members, too many to In conclusion, the survivability of FOM does not depend
name, so here are a few highlights. I am fortunate to have on its increasingly sophisticated infrastructure, but on
met spritely Pat Weisel who at 90 was FOM‘s oldest member qualities such as gratitude, friendship and an openness
to different ways of looking. During my tenure, I had
the satisfaction of contributing to the society’s diversity –
propagating the FOM message within Singapore’s cultural
milieu and providing the impetus for a diverse team. All this
would not have come about without the support of many
people, so I thank you all for the opportunity to have been
the face of FOM from 2013 to 2015.
Elaine Cheong acquired a Master of Arts in Asian Art
Histories in 2016 and is catching up on her travelling while
continuing with volunteer guiding.
L to R: Maren Kraemer-Dreyer, Elaine, Pauline Ong and Clara Chan All photos by Gisella Harrold
PASSAGE September / October 2018 3
How a Ceramic Society’s
Exhibition Inspired the
Founding of Friends
FOM is a volunteer, non-profit society
dedicated to providing volunteer guides
and financial support to Singapore’s
museums and cultural institutions and
to delivering programmes to enhance
the community’s knowledge of Asia’s
of the Museums
history, culture and art.
FOM is an Associate Member of the
World Federation of Friends of the
(Singapore) in 1978
By Patricia Bjaaland Welch
Museums.
FOM member privileges include
free admission to NHB museums “An American woman from Portland, Oregon, Wynne Spiegel, active in a
(excluding special exhibitions); access Friends of the Museum in Portland, was in Singapore for six months in 1978
to FOM programmes including docent with her husband. She happened to read about the Southeast Asian Ceramic
training, lectures, study tours, volunteer Society’s special Blue & White Ceramics Exhibition (held in April/May 1978) at
the National Museum and decided to take it in. She enjoyed the exhibition very
opportunities; a subscription to the
much and the tour, which was given by a Ceramic Society member. However,
FOM magazine, PASSAGE, and discounts
after the tour she was surprised to learn that the guide wasn’t affiliated with
at selected retail outlets, theatres and the museum, but rather with the Ceramic Society. No, she was told, Singapore
restaurants. Membership in FOM had no ‘friends of the museum’ type of society. The following day she read in
ranges from $25 (senior) - $100 (family) a newspaper review of the exhibition that a Mrs Anne Tofield (who was on the
depending on category of membership. SEACS Council) was in charge of the exhibition’s tours. She went to the museum
For more information about FOM, and asked for Anne’s phone number, then called her to say that she was amazed
visit our website www.fom.sg or contact that the museum did not have an FOM group and would Anne be interested in
the FOM office. finding out if it would be possible to organise one. She was.”1
FOM Office
Friends of the Museums (Singapore)
No.61 Stamford Road,
#02-06 Stamford Court
178892 Singapore: (tel: +65 6337 3685)
Website: www.fom.sg
Administration: Katherine Lim
Office Hours: Monday-Friday
9:30 am – 2:30 pm Anne Tofield at a lunch held in her honour in November 2011
Former SEACS member Anne Tofield continues the story: “We arranged to
FOM COUNCIL meet at the museum, each agreeing to bring a friend. I brought Sally Housemen,
President Clara Chan an English woman, and Wynne, knowing no one in Singapore, told an American
woman, Fran Hamlin, whom she met while waiting for a bus, of the plan, and
Vice President Melissa Yeow
asked if she would be interested in going with her. She was. ”2
Honorary Treasurer Sophia Kan This is how four ladies, Anne Tofield, Wynne Spiegel, Sally Houseman and
Fran Hamlin agreed to present a proposal to the museum’s director. It was readily
Honorary Secretary Susan Fong
accepted. Initially, the museum gave them the use, once a week, of one of the big
Council Representatives rooms upstairs. The first event they organised was a study group. Soon there
Sarah Lev were four study groups going at the same time, one in each corner of the room.
Heather Muirhead The Friends of the National Museum was officially founded in October 1978.
Sadiah Shahal Wynne had left by then, but she left a lasting legacy.
Gisella Harrold The story was shared with me by Maura Rinaldi and Anne Tofield, both active
Ilknur Yildiz FOM members and council members during FOM’s early years.
Unless otherwise stated, the
abbreviation FOM used in this Patricia Bjaaland Welch has been a member of FOM for 24 years and has served
newsletter refers to Friends of the on the council, as Study Tours Coordinator (and has led over a dozen tours), as well
Museums Singapore. serving as Overall Co-head of Training (2016-18), Webmaster (2011-2014), ACM
FOM is not responsible for statements Docent Ongoing Training Coordinator (2014-2017) and on the PASSAGE team. She
remains an active ACM docent.
expressed in the signed articles and
interviews.
1
Personal correspondence with Maura Rinaldi, now a resident of Rome, 27 May, 2018.
2
Personal correspondence with Anne Tofield, now living in Florida, USA, 29 May 2018.
4 PASSAGE September / October 2018
FOM and Me in My FOM
Earlier Times Journey
By Tara Dhar Hasnain By Durriya Dohadwala
When I moved to Singapore in 2004, after hearing The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,
of my interest in museums, history, cultural travel and a clichéd and often quoted proverb, but one that really does
volunteering, a friend recommended that I join FOM. During describe my journey into the arts and with FOM over the last
earlier visits here, I had already witnessed the exciting and 12 years.
expanding museum scene, compared to the 80s. Many new In 2006, with my daughter starting primary school, I
ones were opening, among them the Asian Civilisations signed up to be a parent volunteer with an arts appreciation
Museum, the Singapore Art Museum and the Peranakan organisation called Art Outreach. The not-for-profit charity
Museum. FOM nourished my many interests and provided a brought art portfolios into local schoolrooms and guided
wonderful social network of like-minded people. children into ways of looking at and appreciating art.
I was soon immersed in With my background in finance and analysis, this was a
FOM’s Monday Morning completely new area for me and I learned not only about
Lecture series, its study art but also about society, history, politics and geography
groups, study tours, and through the stories that we shared.
Explore Singapore! tours, Hoping to learn
learning more about the more, I joined the
city’s many hidden gems Singapore Art
and intriguing multi- Museum’s (SAM)
cultural festivals. Because docent training
of work, I cannot commit programme in
the time needed to be a 2010. That made
docent, but I help train me so interested
docents through talks, in contemporary
museum-walkthroughs and Asian art that
by compiling background I signed up for
reading materials, all of the MA in Asian
which have brought me joy Art Histories
and a sense of giving back. Tara in Kashmir programme at the
I have also enjoyed being in LASALLE College
book groups. of the Arts. Going
Over the years, I saw FOM’s newsletter morph into back to school
PASSAGE, a beautiful bi-monthly magazine, with interesting after 20 years was
and informative articles and lovely photos. Today, the a challenging
publication goes well beyond conveying basic information but amazing
about special exhibitions and is one I enjoy writing for. experience,
The Monday Morning Lectures are a weekly highlight. compounded by
Whether I am giving a lecture myself, or attending one, it my other role at
Durriya Dohadwala
is a lovely way to start the week and learn something new, SAM as co-head of
preceded by a half-hour of meeting friends, socialising over a docent training in
cuppa and boning up on forthcoming events and trips. 2011-12. To my delight, I discovered that a lot of the art and
Over time, technology brought changes. For my earlier artists that we discussed in the lecture rooms were those that
talks on Vajrayana Buddhism, Kashmir’s multi-cultural I had personally encountered at SAM.
legacy and other topics, I printed copies of reading lists/ Through my docent role, I also discovered that I enjoyed
bibliographies for the audience. Now all such ancillary researching and writing about the arts. Although I now write
materials go online. As PowerPoint became popular, our for a wide variety of magazines and journals, my very first
presentations changed to include many more slides and article was published in PASSAGE in 2012, which also led me
pictures. For speakers not familiar with such programmes, to my current role on the magazine’s editorial team.
coaching sessions were organised in a friendly, collaborative, Earlier this year, during a SAM docent outing at STPI,
non-judgemental environment, along with lots of eats and I heard of their upcoming docent training and just before
drinks, as with all our activities. summer I earned my docent badge there. Each of these steps
Over the years, as I have laid down roots here, FOM and has immeasurably widened my understanding of Singapore
its many activities, plus its wonderful members from all and the region, but what I value most is the friendships that
parts of the globe, have become my family. The relationships have evolved with the incredible individuals who all call
formed during study tours and study groups have created themselves Friends of the Museums.
lasting bonds. I love the sharing of knowledge and skills.
Cheers to many more decades of bonhomie and nourishing
friendships formed this way!
Tara Dhar Hasnain is an editor at Marshall Cavendish and Durriya Dohadwala is a docent at SAM and STPI. She is
writes on heritage-related subjects. She was a university lecturer also an independent arts writer on South and Southeast Asian
for many years. contemporary art.
PASSAGE September / October 2018 5
An Orchid Extravaganza
Habitat
By Andra Leo
Singapore’s successful Orchid Show of 2016
has been reborn as the Singapore Garden Festival
Orchid Show and was held from 21 to 29 April in
the Botanic Gardens. Over 700 of Asia’s best orchid
plants were on display, with many incorporated
into gorgeous landscape exhibits and also as entries
in competitions among individual orchid varieties.
Orchids are closely linked to the national identity,
so the 2018 Orchid Show provided an opportunity
for the public to have a greater appreciation of these
fascinating flowers. Significantly, the show coincided
with the 125th anniversary of Singapore’s national
flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim.
The orchid family includes around 26,000 species,
along with over 70,000 hybrids. In fact, it is the
largest family of angiosperms, flowering plants, in
the world. Amazingly, new species are still being
discovered, providing orchid hunters with the
motivation to continue searching for yet another
species and thus earn naming rights.
The festival was an event not to be missed, so one
evening, camera in hand, I headed to the gardens
fully expecting to be impressed by the displays and
the extraordinary variety of colours and shapes that
orchids come in. I was not disappointed – always
a treat to visit, the Orchid Garden was even more
stunning than usual; it was an orchid fairyland. Here
are some of the photos I took.
6 PASSAGE September / October 2018
Museum Watch
The Volkenkunde
Museum, Leiden By Anne Pinto-Rodrigues
In the ancient Dutch town of Leiden, an imposing
eight-metre-tall Kwakwaka’wakw totem pole guards the
Volkenkunde Museum. While it may seem out of place
in the Leiden landscape, it is interesting to note that the
totem pole was hand-carved specially for the museum by
Kwakwaka’wakw artisans from British Columbia, Canada. And
as the only totem pole in the Netherlands, it couldn’t have
been placed in a better location than the Volkenkunde, the
National Museum of Ethnology.
The Volkenkunde has its roots in the extensive Japanese
collection of Philipp Franz Balthasar von Siebold, a German
doctor based at the Dutch embassy on the island of Dejima
(off Nagasaki), between 1823 and 1829. This was the time of
Japan’s strict, self-imposed seclusion from the world – Dejima
being the only exception to this policy. Following Siebold’s
expulsion from Japan in 1829, he returned to Europe with a
collection of over 5,000 Japanese objects and made Leiden his The imposing Kwakwaka’wakw totem pole in the garden of the
home. The Museum Japonicum was born from this collection Volkenkunde Museum
in 1837 and over time evolved into the Volkenkunde
Museum. As the first ethnographic museum in Europe,
it paved the way for a better understanding of Japanese Europe in the west, this
culture and later, other world cultures as well. In 1935, the is hardly surprising. The
Volkenkunde moved into its existing premises on the scenic Liefkes donation forms
Singel Canal, a striking 19th century building that once served only a small part of the
as an academic hospital. 60,000 strong Indonesian
The Volkenkunde’s already stellar collection received a objects collection at the
tremendous boost in 2010 when renowned Dutch collector Volkenkunde, but it filled
and furniture curator, Frits Liefkes, bequeathed his entire some important gaps in the
collection of nearly 1,000 Indonesian objects to the museum. museum’s portfolio.
This fascinating collection was based around a few key Today, the Volkenkunde’s
themes: ‘man as art’ and ‘the cycle of life’, among others. collection from eight
Yet it covered a wide range of Indonesian material culture, different cultural regions of
including some exceptional pieces of batik textiles, intricate the world tells stories of our
gold jewellery and furniture. Exquisite ceremonial and ritual shared humanity. Together
textiles, numbering over 400 pieces, formed the majority with the Tropenmusuem
of the donation. Over a period of 40 years, Liefkes had in Amsterdam, the A book on the highlights of the Frits
purchased almost all of the objects in the Netherlands from Africa Museum on the Liefkes Collection, featuring a 20th
private sales, art dealers, exhibitions and auctions. outskirts of Nijmegen, century gold crown from South Nias
The pieces in the Liefkes collection demonstrate a very and the Wereldmuseum (Sumatra) on the cover
high level of artistry and were made by craftsmen from all in Rotterdam, it forms an
over the Indonesian archipelago, from the western islands integral part of the Dutch
of Sumatra and Java, to as far as Papua province in the initiative, Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen (National
east. However, several of these objects also exhibit cultural Museum of World Cultures [NMvW]), which focuses on
influences from foreign lands. Given Indonesia’s location cultural diversity around universal themes. The belief that
on the ancient maritime trade route connecting China in our commonalities transcend our differences no matter
the east to the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East and where people are in the world, embodies the spirit of the
Volkenkunde and the NMvW.
Heartfelt thanks to Ms Francine Brinkgreve, Curator
Insular Southeast Asia, at the Volkenkunde Museum, for
sharing her expertise and time.
Anne Pinto-Rodrigues, an Amsterdam-based writer and
photographer, recently visited the Volkenkunde Museum. She
chronicles her experiences of interesting people and places on her
blog No Roads Barred at https://noroadbarred.wordpress.com
The peaceful environs of the Buddha Room at the Volkenkunde. Centuries-
old, bronze Buddha statues from Japan are on display here All photos by the author
PASSAGE September / October 2018 7
Sketchbook
A Passion for Sketching By Siobhán Cool
“Painting is the silence of thought and the music
of sight.” Orhan Pamuk, My Name is Red.
Although I have drawn since early childhood, it
wasn’t until I moved to Asia in 2003 that I started
my painting sketchbooks. I cannot remember if it
was to help me pass the time whilst companions
scuba-dived or whether it was an inherent need
to “scratch the itch” to paint, but a holiday to
Malaysian Borneo rejuvenated my artistic spirit
and ensured I would never travel without a pad,
pen and paint-brush again. Initially, my sketches
were made on holidays, when I had more time and
wanted to catch the obviously new scenes around
me. As a working lawyer, I always wished for more
time to devote to my art, but living in Singapore, I
soon considered that time is what you make it and
even an 'average' street scene has more than meets
the glancing eye. My mind remained inquisitive,
composing montages as I went about my daily work
and tasks. Many a street corner, park, shophouse
or cul-de-sac would I ‘bookmark’ in my memory,
to return at the weekend to recreate the fleeting
Geckos amongst morning remains of Hungry Ghosts’ feast, A Black and White terrace house in Singapore, where drain cats sat at Siobhán's feet
Toh Yi footpath, Bukit Timah
divers' hut on Sipidan Island,
Siobhán sketching the
isa Haupt
photo courtesy of Lar The divers' hut on Sipidan Island that Siobhán was sketching
8 PASSAGE September / October 2018Siobhán and Margaret
White, sketching at Ch
photo by Andra Leo angqing Village in 200
9,
The small Daoist temple in Changqing Village, China, that Siobhán was
sketching while her FOM friends waited
moment that made me pause and realise the eclectic beauty
and quiet adventure that Singapore’s cityscape had to offer.
After my boys arrived, my sketching became a mission
to record snapshots of their first home and its idiosyncrasies
because I worried that memories of the quirky details and
unique scenes would fade once we left and none of us would
be guaranteed the chance to find them again in the future,
since the city, almost like no other, is constantly evolving and
redesigning itself.
The obvious distinction between a photograph and a
travel sketch is the speed of capture. One might compose
the scene well before clicking the shutter, but during the
same expedition an avid photographer can take dozens
of photographs to an artist’s one or two sketches. The
photographer can move freely, pass by in a flash and be gone
from a place in a matter of moments, whereas a sketch artist
is rooted in the place and bound to the scene, which evolves
as you sketch.
Sketching allows me solitude, time for contemplation Young girl selling her wares of temple offerings, Mumbai
and distractions from the worries of the world. Picasso
understood that “art washes from the soul the dust of
everyday life” hence I steal away whenever I can, to sit to
These impressions wend their way into the imagery I
one side, out of view, watching and drawing the scenes of
make and are permanent visual notes of this place in time
my world. As others pass by, they may may only glance at a
that I otherwise would miss during this modern, harried
girl tending a stall. While I am sketching, I notice much more:
lifestyle. And so I keep sketching since “to be an artist, is to
I see her nonchalantly tidying the displays; plaiting flowers
believe in life”. (Henry Moore).
into her hair; gossiping with a neighbour in the opposite
stall; laughing at the antics of a stray dog. Even in the
absence of humans, animals and birds bring sound and mirth
to the scene. When not another moving soul is present, then
the wind in the trees and the scent of the grass add richness, Siobhán Cool is a senior corporate counsel who has lived in
which makes me cherish the moment in time as well as the Singapore for 15 years and still revels in the sights and sounds of
sights I sketch. Southeast Asia.
PASSAGE September / October 2018 9The Evolution of a Magazine By Andra Leo
Members of FOM are now accustomed to receiving a bi- Bridge would be apt –
monthly issue of PASSAGE, but it was not always so. What she saw FOM as forming
was the publication's background story? How, when and a bridge between
why did it come into existence and who were the people cultures, languages and
behind its inception? traditions. Ultimately,
Although I joined the editorial team in January 2009, members were asked to
I didn’t know the story either. So I set out to discover decide and PASSAGE
how it had all come about by contacting four of the ladies was selected. In the
involved in the birth of the publication, among them October 2008 president’s
the 2008 FOM president, Marie-Caroline Dallery. It was letter, Marie-Caroline
during her tenure that the council mooted the idea of wrote, “Most of us
replacing the mostly black and white newsletter with a are in Singapore just
full-colour magazine. There was resistance to the change for a while, we are
because of the extra cost and a reluctance to abandon what passengers. Passage
had been tried and tested. In fact, Marie-Caroline wrote means movement, like
that when the first issue appeared, there were quite a the monk on the cover
few vociferously negative reactions to it. This part of the who needs to cross the
magazine's history came as a surprise. bridge to go from his
place to the forest. This
word encompasses a The invitation to FOM’s 30th anniversary
journey, something new celebration in the September 2008 newsletter
to see or to learn, an
experience as in a ‘rite of
passage’, a move forward.”
But why was the singular form chosen? Susan Hunter,
an editor with the newsletter who later took on the role of
Features Editor with PASSAGE, thought that the decision
had to do with the many possible passages that we each
experience in our personal passage along life’s journey.
However, there was a less exotic and more mundane reason
for choosing the name without the ‘s’. According to the first
managing editor, Kathryn Burns, it was because there was an
existing boating magazine called Passages.
The first cover was created from this photo, image courtesy of MC Dallery All four of my informants wrote that the magazine’s
beginnings had been a whirlwind of activity and decision-
making: choosing the cover design and the name; hiring a
To test the waters and gain some experience, in May 2008 graphic designer to create the format; selecting a printing
the council published a special colour issue of the newsletter, company and finally choosing the staff. Considering the task
focused on the Peranakan community. Many of the photos they’d undertaken, the editorial team was a very small one,
for this issue were taken by Susanne Paulli, the then photo just four women. Next they had to find writers for articles
editor and later also for PASSAGE. Gaining confidence from on the art, history, culture and people of Asia. Kathryn paid
this newsletter, the particular tribute to Patricia Bjaaland Welch, whose articles
council decided to were her favourite monthly feature. Patricia’s scholarly
go ahead with the
full-colour, glossy
magazine. However,
it needed a name
and a cover image.
The council chose
a striking one, that
of a solitary monk
crossing a bridge. This
photograph, Land
of Morning Calm by
David Sparrow, was
the third-place winner
in the Asian Open
Category of the 2007
FOM Photography
Competition.
As for the name, The Peranakan issue of the May 2008 Marie-Caroline Dallery with Dr Kenson Kwok, then director of both the
Marie-Caroline felt The newsletter ACM and TPM, at the anniversary party, image courtesy of MC Dallery
10 PASSAGE September / October 2018Shalinee didn’t stay in the job for long –
family matters led to her resigning after just six
months. Her resignation coincided with that of
almost every other member of the team. I was
in Sydney in January 2011 when I received this
news, along with a plea for me to take over. I
agreed on condition that a new managing editor be found
as soon as possible. That didn’t work out and so eight years
later, I am still managing PASSAGE.
When I took over, council members pitched in to help
me, finding writers and giving me proof-reading support.
Without them I couldn’t have done it. We also brainstormed
new content and our first series pages were born, ArteFact
and Museum Watch. The same year, for the September/
October issue, I began the tradition of choosing a theme for
an article from each of the museums FOM docents guide in.
For the September/October 2011 edition, the theme was the
The PASSAGE steering committee in the Singapore Management history of five museum buildings, each one of which had
University’s meeting room, image courtesy of MC Dallery been used for other purposes before it became a museum. For
the cover of this 40th anniversary issue, I have used images of
all the September/October covers since 2008.
Other changes were
articles on symbolism in Chinese art and a variety of other made as the years went
subjects continue to appear in PASSAGE. by. The much-loved
The first issue of PASSAGE was published in October 2008, Sketchbook series began
on FOM’s 30th anniversary. The invitation to this this event in 2011 after a meeting
appeared in the September 2008 issue of the newsletter, the with Siobhán Cool,
last one. To celebrate the birth of PASSAGE and FOM’s 30th when she showed me
anniversary, a big party was held for all FOM members, as her portfolio of sketches
well as numerous representatives of the National Heritage and asked if I could use
Board and the museums. them. Siobhán’s last
From the beginning, PASSAGE has published articles regular contribution
about all things Asian, write-ups of study tours and provided was in the March/
coverage of FOM activities, as well as what’s on at the April 2018 issue, when
museums that FOM docents guide in. As the years went by her workload made
and different managing editors took the helm, other features it difficult for her to
were added, as was coverage of more and more museums. continue. However,
From the original five (ACM, NMS, TPM, SAM and STPI), I persuaded her to
today our docents guide in nine museums. That is quite an provide one final article
achievement for an organisation that began with a handful of for this special issue. The May/June 2017 Malay-themed issue
volunteers and now has over 1,500 members. The Habitat series
My 10-year- was initially titled
long journey with Communities, and made its appearance when a new team
PASSAGE began when member called Heather Clark submitted an article relating
Kathryn Burns was to an unusual business, teaching children to ride bicycles.
the managing editor, It appeared in the September/October 2012 issue. The first
a position she held for Malay-themed issue was the July/August 2014 magazine
the first five issues of and resulted from meeting and getting to know Khir Johari
the magazine. When during an FOM study tour. I persuaded him to collaborate
she had to leave with me to celebrate Malay culture and traditions. A Malay-
Singapore rather themed issue now appears every year, during the month of
suddenly, Laura Bales, Ramadan. Khir has a comprehensive network of contacts and
who’d joined the team commissions articles relating to the Malay world.
at the same time as I Although the magazine dominates my life to a degree
did, took over. Laura that is often difficult to handle, it also enriches it. The
did an extraordinary articles are always interesting and I learn a great deal
job, managing a heavy from them. I am grateful to excellent writers such as Liisa
workload as well as Wihman, Anne Pinto-Rodrigues and Seema Shah, who
caring for two very continue to contribute articles despite now living overseas.
small children. She Through PASSAGE I stay in touch with the wider world and
resigned when she The 2011 May/June issue of PASSAGE,
connect with people I might otherwise not meet. It has been
was offered a full-time, the first one I was fully responsible for and continues to be a fascinating trip through Asian history
paid job. Before Laura and culture.
handed the reins over to Shalinee Chatterjee, she persuaded
the council to cut back on the number of issues, from 10 to
six, to be published bi-monthly. This change was necessary
– the entire team was suffering from overload. We spent Andra Leo was a lecturer at the National University of
even our holidays poring over the magazine’s proofs rather Singapore before making a career change and entering the
than enjoying a break, which never seemed to come. The publishing world. She founded a magazine for the Malacca state
magazine had taken over our lives. government and was its managing editor, writer and photographer.
PASSAGE September / October 2018 11FOM Study Tours
Continue to Inspire By Abha Dayal Kaul
As Friends of the Museums (FOM)
celebrates its 40th anniversary, it
is gratifying to note how well we
are faring with one of our member
activities – Study Tours. Carefully
designed and capably run by dedicated
volunteers for FOM members, tours to
diverse parts of Asia have made deep,
lasting impressions in the minds and
hearts of our travellers. Tours, leaders
and participants may change over the
years, but FOM continues to mix it
up with short and long itineraries, to
destinations near Singapore and farther
afield, for travel in small groups or
larger ones, providing variety for all
tastes.
A common thread weaves through
the tours – FOM members value and
fully enjoy their travel experiences,
finding them both inspiring and
memorable. PASSAGE readers may Taktsang, the Tiger's Nest Monastery in Paro, Bhutan
enjoy hearing about these learning
journeys from those freshly smitten by their allure, as well as great!” said Nimmi Weeks, who travelled to India for the first
from others who have been sold on them for years. time ever in 2014 and since then has been on five tours.
“A study tour doesn’t just impact oneself, but also causes As a tour leader, I have thoroughly enjoyed curating
ripples or cascades of cultural, political, geographical and leading themed tours to specific geographical locations
and historical information to wash over a host of others in India, while introducing international and even Indian
one subsequently comes into contact with, sparking their friends to the countless archaeological, artistic and historical
curiosity and desire to do the same, like the flutter of a treasures of my country. Using my own knowledge, social
butterfly’s wings vibrating across the world, unleashing networks and contacts, I like to show FOM members unique
tiny to mighty arcs of curiosity.” This poetic reflection comes and special spots in India not easily accessed by tourists and
from Seema Nambiar after her very first FOM study tour, to casual visitors travelling on their own. It is satisfying to keep
Buddhist pilgrimage sites in North India in February 2018. discovering and digging deeper into Indian history myself
After participating in many trips and also leading and to share the richness of my heritage with those who are
numerous tours, Gisella Harrold said, “I love FOM Study keen to do the same.
Tours because they add personal insights and special in- Khatiza van Savage, who is planning a Bhutan journey
depth knowledge to the trips. We get to see countries or this December says, “As an Indian born in the north-eastern
areas ordinarily not on travel itineraries. My first trip, to Indian town of Shillong, Meghalaya, and educated in
Uzbekistan, is definitely on my list of favourites and was my Darjeeling, West Bengal, I have had the privilege of learning
first contact with the area and culture.” from many interesting people. Leading FOM Study Tours
“Bodh Gaya and Varanasi made the biggest impression on gave me the opportunity to share this region’s diversity of
me, and the best overall tour was to Khajuraho – it was just cultures and history and also create opportunities for the
Study tour group in Bodh Gaya in February 2018, photo courtesy of Abha Kaul Thiksey Monastery, in Ladakh, visited during the 2007 FOM study tour
12 PASSAGE September / October 2018We all feel a connection to a place we visit
together and learn a lot by travelling with
people who are passionate about history and
culture. Abha’s tours are always a mix of
learning about the history of the place and
fun experiences.”
Tour members cherish the fun and camaraderie that
learning and travelling together brings. In Sheila Lim’s
words, “We’re like-minded and want to see the same things;
we become like brothers and sisters”. Lynn Baker wrote,
“After I did one study tour, I was hooked and through the 19
or so that I’ve now been on, the Asian world opened up to
me in terms of knowledge, understanding and very special
friendships. They are truly ‘awesome’ experiences that have
immeasurably enhanced my life.”
FOM's ceramic cities tour group in Jingdezhen, China, in 2017 Susan Sim, who has been on 10 study tours, shared her
thoughts. “I love going on FOM tours, but can’t fathom why
anyone would volunteer to lead them. It’s such hard work.
region’s people to share their stories with pride.” Tour leaders have to do all the heavy lifting, not just the
Frequent study tour participant and occasional leader, travel logistics but sometimes literally in hotels without lifts,
Andra Leo tells us, “In July 2007 I went on an FOM study while staying enthused even when energy levels flag and
tour to Ladakh, organised by Helen Cannon-Brookes and people seem about to mutiny (not get on the bus at 6:00 am
Sue Ellen Kelso. Thus began my love affair with this starkly the next day). I suppose they do it because they hear how
beautiful Himalayan region known as “Little Tibet”. I joyfully we talk about the highlights at the end of each trip.”
doubt if Helen and Sue Ellen could have imagined their
introductory tour would ignite this traveller’s passion to
keep visiting her mountain haven.”
China has also been a regular draw over the years. China
expert and frequent tour leader, Patricia Welch, sums up her
experience thus, “Last autumn, I led my 13th FOM Study Tour
and have participated in at least seven others. I would do
them all over again. Our travellers are so diverse – some read
everything they can beforehand, while others take it more
leisurely. Some jump off the bus to get the best photo vantage
point, others stroll off to capture a site’s sounds and smells.
Some have the latest travel gear; others arrive in what they
wear at home. But at the end of each day, there’s a coming
together to share the wonderful exchange of experiences and
laughter that every FOM Study Tour engenders.”
Experienced tour leaders have mentored, encouraged Study tour to Gujarat in 2016, photo courtesy of Coleen Singer
and facilitated new leaders such as Rashmi Panchal and
Sarah Lev to organise trips; Rashmi to her native Gujarat in
India and Sarah to Israel. Leaders have also tapped into the Much is gained by embarking on an FOM Study Tour,
knowledge of peers such as Pia Rampal, for Tamil Nadu’s when we share so much with fellow FOM members –
Coromandel Coast and Khir Johari for Jakarta, then coaxed experiences not to be had on commercial tours. As first-timer
them along on tours as expert advisers. Vicki Nagtegaal-Langley wrote, “Travel trips with FOM
Rashmi’s feedback is, “Being a tour leader gives you the are not like a regular holiday. They are in-depth journeys
opportunity to discover hidden strengths within yourself. to a specific destination with their roots in culture and
Organising a tour presents unique situations and one is history. The pre-trip meetings help to prepare one not only
forced to think on one’s feet and emerge a more confident physically for the actual travel, but also mentally. Owing to
person. I have been on three tours led by Abha and have the preparations, I was better able to focus on the location
enjoyed them because they gave me an opportunity to visit visited and not be too distracted by all the activity in that
places that would have been difficult to go to on my own. area. The meetings provide an opportunity to meet the other
participants and to bond with them so as to make the trip a
success. These trips are highly recommended.”
And finally, Harman Deol said, “FOM study tours have
been absolutely life-changing for me. I have thoroughly
enjoyed them and cherish my experiences. Kudos to all the
tour leaders who go out of their way to volunteer their time,
effort and most importantly, their knowledge.”
Wouldn’t you sign up for one of FOM’s study tours?
Abha Dayal Kaul is an FOM docent at the ACM, MHC and
IHC. She has been organising and leading FOM study tours for
several years, is currently FOM’s Coordinator for Study Tours
and hopes new tour leaders will volunteer.
The study tour group in Khajuraho in February 2014 Unless otherwise noted, photos by Andra Leo
PASSAGE September / October 2018 13FOM Docent Training
The Making of a Professional Volunteer Docent
By Millie Phuah
It all began when Wynne Spiegel visited
the National Museum of Singapore (NMS) in
1978 and discovered there were no no guided
museum tours for the public. In the space of a
few months, she had put together a core group
and Friends of the National Museum was born,
(later renamed Friends of the Museums). On 14
March 1979, the ladies conducted the very first
tours at NMS and the rest is history.
In the days before the Internet, research
was laborious and FOM study group members
were naturally the main source of docents. In
1981, we conducted the first structured six-
month training programme for NMS, the only
museum then.
Susan Sadler, who trained at NMS in 2000 The audience at the May 2018 Public Information Meeting (PIM), photo by the author
and was one of the ACM’s inaugural docents
says, “In the early days of training, everything
was snail mail and hard copy. It was weekly lectures and a regional history and culture that docents were given the
HUGE binder of reading and gallery talks.” choice to move on to either SAM (opened in 1996) or the
2008 ACM trainee, Jo Wright remembers that “It was ACM (1997, in Armenian Street).
hilarious looking back. We used to carry shopping bags full From 2003 when NMS closed for a revamp, each museum
of notes. One day I happened to pass the docent room and went its own way. Foundation courses were reintroduced
saw a group of evaluators huddled together discussing and to streamline training by 2008 Co-Overall Head of Training,
marking our papers with red pens. And then Susan came in Carla Forbes-Kelly, who realised there was much overlap
one day and held up a USB drive saying – all your papers in themes, but the same need for local historical context
are here!” in the various museums. “There were six foundation days
But the online revolution then, focusing on the history of Singapore, China and
came slowly according Southeast Asia, the major religions of the region, guiding and
to Susan. “Some docents storytelling skills, and the context of the museums within the
hadn’t yet joined the online larger museum system.”
revolution and we didn’t want Foundations also set standardised training standards
to lose them, so the process across museums. More importantly, new docents were
was time-consuming to say the inducted into the larger FOM community and saw first-
least. We even had sessions on hand the enthusiastic involvement of many docents in the
how to use Google search!” training process.
As a back-up, docents could As more and more museums began opening or reopening
consult the 1,770 books that (STPI – 2004, TPM - 2008, SYSNMH - 2011, MHC - 2012, IHC
FOM had amassed over the - 2015), each training team developed its own customised
years. This library had been programme, building on the knowledge, know-how and best
moved from someone’s house practises acquired over the decades and passed down from
to a cramped upstairs room at team to team. We still have gallery talks and papers, and
the museum, before spending “weekly words” have become “words of the week”, better
ten years in a container sitting NMS presentation during the 2018 known as WOWs.
in the carpark. The container, PIM, photo by Michelle Lim In 40 years, FOM has gained a reputation for running
which also housed our first one of the best docent training programmes anywhere in
office, was known to leak every time it rained and whenever the world. Today, we have over 400 ‘professional’ volunteer
it did, everyone would panic. It was a great relief when in docents guiding at nine museums and leading three heritage
2003 FOM got an office in Armenian Street. We moved to walking trails. Hundreds more have gone through our
Stamford Court in 2008. training, served admirably and gone on to other postings.
Training kept evolving according to Susan, who served Yet many more have stayed to continue guiding, which has
on the NMS and ACM training teams. “We wanted to make become very much part and parcel of their lives!
it a little more interactive and creative, while keeping a
structure/framework. It was a slow process – shifting the
focus/emphasis more to ‘in the gallery’... we started to add
more about guiding skills, how to give feedback to trainees.” Millie Phuah guides at NMS, the IHC, SYSNMH and
Up until 2003, all aspiring docents first trained at NMS. MHC. She is currently Co-Overall Head of Training together
It was only after this “foundation course” in Singapore and with Karen Houtman.
14 PASSAGE September / October 2018Asian Civilisations Museum
The Highs and Lows of Guiding
at the ACM
By Soumya Ayer, Carolyn Pottinger, Jo Wright
Guiding at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) can be I knew that engaging them might prove challenging, but
challenging, but very rewarding. Docents could be involved Shiva Nataraja sprang to my rescue. The metaphor of this
in highlight tours, student tours, gallery tours, Gallery-in- Hindu god’s cosmic dance, in which he sets out to destroy
Focus tours, special exhibitions, children’s seasons, study the entire universe so life can be regenerated, carries so
tours, Monday Morning Lectures and new gallery openings. much resonance with the work at the Hadron Collider in
In short, there is plenty to keep ACM docents on their toes. Switzerland, that the Indian government presented the
Sometimes it can seem overwhelming; however, it is very research facility with a large bronze Nataraja statue. With
satisfying when visitors appreciate what you do and discover our wonderful art and ancient Asian mythology assuming a
that history can be exciting. In this article three experienced surprising relevance to my visitors, we went on to spend a
docents share the highs and lows of guiding at the ACM. happy hour together.
Soumya Ayer: The Jo Wright: “Oooh, is that
highlight for me was an underglaze design on these
the opening weekend of bowls?” asked the VIP guest,
the first-ever children’s eagerly leaning forward for a
season in 2014, when closer look. He then dropped
Story Whisperer Tours to his knees to examine their
were created. Having undersides, declaring excitedly
just graduated from the that you can learn as much
training programme from the footings (the rim at
I had the opportunity the bottom of the bowl) as
to work with a team of you can from the decoration. Jo Wright and her mug
experienced docents. Story Whisperers group His excitement was infectious
Of course I was a bag of and soon we were all kneeling
nerves by the time opening weekend arrived. Telling stories on the floor, gazing up at the artefacts from an entirely new
to a packed room of children and parents under the Tree of viewpoint. We were in the ACM’s Tang Shipwreck gallery
Life was incredible. We guided 1,000 visitors that weekend, and the VIP was Gavin Williamson, the UK Secretary of
but that was not all, we met Singapore's then president State for Defence, in town on business. How did he know
Tony Tan and had our picture taken with him. There have about the ACM? At a meeting in London earlier this year,
been other rewarding experiences. Having the opportunity Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister, Teo Chee Hean, had
to be Co-head of Training was a challenging responsibility, recommended that he visit. Mr Williamson’s interest in
but one that allowed me to make many lasting friendships. ceramics comes from his many years working in the UK bone
I particularly enjoy the special exhibitions when I get the china industry. He certainly gave me a new perspective on
opportunity to be in the company of some amazing artefacts, the gallery’s 1,200-year-old pieces. Later, I was thrilled to be
learn from others and share what I learn with visitors. The presented with a bone china mug made in the UK, ideal for
ACM has been truly transformative for me and joining the sipping my afternoon tea.
docent group is one of the best decisions I have made. One of the joys of guiding is that you can never really
Carolyn Pottinger: As a tell how your audience will react to what you show them.
newly minted docent, I had Government ministers, visiting physicists or seven-year-old
a seven-year-old looking children, each brings his/her own viewpoint. It’s an absolute
me in the eye and crisply privilege to be able to make this happen and we are indeed
informing me that he didn’t fortunate to be FOM docents and guiding at the ACM.
want to be there and that
he much preferred Greek
myths. On the other hand, Soumya Ayer, Jo Wright and Carolyn Pottinger
a moment of heavenly have been docents for between four and nine years at the ACM
satisfaction comes when where between them they have guided well over 1,000 tours
you have the perfect artefact and around 12,000 visitors. They all agree that the joy of being
before you. I guided a group museum docents comes from the guiding itself and from being
of physicists in Singapore part of a warm and fascinating community of FOM docents.
for a seminar. Looking
jet-lagged and as if they
Stone Carving of Shiva Nataraja had not come by choice, Photos courtesy of the authors
PASSAGE September / October 2018 15Indian Heritage Centre
The Man with a Vision of an
Inclusive Singapore
By Tang Siew Ngoh
In the Indian Heritage Centre’s Hall of Fame, among disabilities. Equipped with his training and work experience,
photographs of personalities who made Singapore proud, Ron helmed many a local voluntary welfare organisation
you will find this one of a loving couple, Ron Chandran- that catered to people with visual handicaps, mental health
Dudley and his wife Regina (Rena). Their 1962 marriage issues and also drug abusers. He also set up his own private
was a union across the divide of race and religion – he, a consultant counsellor practice (1978-2015) with the tagline
Ceylonese Tamil, was born in Singapore to a Methodist “Listen to and really hear”.
Christian family while she was born in the UK to a Jewish Despite his privileged pedigree, Ron had a great heart
family with Polish roots. for the marginalised. Like his father, Benjamin Dudley, an
Having come to terms with exceptional educator who became Singapore’s first Asian
gradually losing his eyesight Examination Secretary, Ron argued that “no child should
from the age of 17 after a be left standing at the school gate” when he objected to the
rugby accident in 1951 at his exclusion of children with special needs from the ambit
school (Raffles Institution), Ron of compulsory education when it was first introduced in
switched from pursuing his Singapore. His inclusiveness was reflected in the physical
dream to be a neurosurgeon to design of his residence, equipped with a hydraulic lift for
graduate instead with a BA in wheelchair users and accessible washrooms, as well as in
Social Anthropology from the the stories and plays he wrote. In the play Trace the Rainbow
London School of Economics through the Rain, staged by the Experimental Theatre Club in
in 1964. Then with a Fulbright 1972, he featured the struggles of a blind lawyer. In another
Scholarship and Rena’s drama serial for the British Broadcasting Corporation in 2004,
support, Ron achieved the Ron created the character of a blind Singaporean Chinese
rare distinction of graduating physiotherapist, Zoe Chan Li Fen, in memory of his daughter
Ron with Rena, his “rod and staff”
within two years from the State Viva (Li Fen) who died at the age of 27.
University of New York with an It was my singular privilege
MA in the Sociology of Medicine and Industry as well as an to have worked alongside Ron
MSc in Education on Vocational Rehabilitation Counselling from 1993, as the DPA's honorary
and Psychotherapy in 1971. secretary/vice-president when he
Ron was a visionary. He envisaged Singapore becoming a was DPA’s president and to know
regional beacon, bringing to the forefront public discussions Rena, whom he fondly described
on disability issues. This vision was realised in 1981, the as his “rod and staff”. It was
International Year of Disabled Persons, when he became the Rena who helped to finish writing
founding chairman of the Disabled People’s International the book The Man with a Mission:
(DPI). DPI remains the only international cross-disability A Life Well-Lived. Four chapters
organisation comprised entirely of people with disabilities, were written by Ron before his
advocating for the full participation of disabled people in sudden death on 30 Dec 2015. His
society. DPI, with its slogan “Nothing About Us, Without favourite hymn, O Love that will Benjamin and Harriet Dudley
Us”, now has local chapters in over 130 countries, in addition not let me go, written by a blind
to a special consultative status with various United Nations lyricist, had resonated with him when finally told that he had
(UN) agencies. Ron went on to play a significant role in to function as a blind person and was the hymn sung during
lobbying for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons his farewell service.
with Disabilities, to which Singapore is a signatory. Ron’s life was indeed “a life well-lived” and one
On the local front, the beginnings of inclusion for people that touched many other lives. The significant advances
with disabilities can be traced to Ron’s untiring efforts as towards making Singapore a more inclusive society where
their advocate. In 1986, he spearheaded the setting up of the persons with disabilities have access to the same rights
Disabled People's Association (DPA) as DPI’s local chapter and opportunities as everyone else, owe much to the trail-
and served as its president till 2005. Prior to and between blazing advocacy of Ron Chandran-Dudley.
his academic pursuits, Ron pioneered many new initiatives
in Singapore, from providing visually-handicapped
children with a holistic education and rehabilitation, to Tang Siew Ngoh is a docent who guides at five museums,
collective fund-raising that came under the ambit of the including the Indian Heritage Centre, the Malay Heritage
Community Chest. From the UK and USA, he brought in Centre and the Peranakan Museum.
the best practices in open education and open employment
and models of client-centred rehabilitation of people with Images courtesy of the Indian Heritage Centre, National Heritage Board
16 PASSAGE September / October 2018You can also read
